


Antecedent to Love

by Emerald_Heart12



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: (maybe), Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Adrien Has a Crush on Marinette, F/M, Miraculous Fluff Month, adrienette fluff, literally just that, mostly adrienette, mostly set in the same universe, with a sprinkling of LadyNoir MariChat and Ladrien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-14 09:38:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11780427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emerald_Heart12/pseuds/Emerald_Heart12
Summary: Entries for the Miraculous Fluff Month 2017.antecedent/ˌantɪˈsiːd(ə)nt/nounA thing that existed before or logically precedes another.Marinette and Adrien are two halves of a whole, whether as Ladybug and Chat Noir or not. They complement each other, and neither would be complete without the other. But a pact to keep secret identities that come with being superheroes must be kept -- so Chat Noir may finally have to turn away from Ladybug. Or so he thinks.





	1. I - Blush

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is already up on Wattpad and Tumblr. So, why not post it here, right?

“Marinette and Adrien!” Ms. Bustier called from the door as both students came in tardy -- as usual -- disheveled and panting. 

Of course, there’d been another akuma halfway through the day, and it didn’t help that Alya slipped out of the classroom earlier that morning and had almost seen Adrien transform. 

“Could the both of you make it  _ on time _ for your lessons?” she scolded, making Marinette blush in embarrassment. 

“I got caught up in the akuma attack after lunch -- it targeted my parents’ bakery, so I had to stay upstairs until it had left,” Marinette explained. 

_ So that’s why I didn’t see her in the bakery _ , Adrien noted. Indeed, it was true. It was a young child that had been targeted this time. He’d apparently eaten too many cookies and wasn’t allowed to have more, making “Cookie Monster” akuma chaos a reality. 

“And you, Adrien?”

“My father saw that the akuma was close to the school and didn’t want me out of the house until it was safe,” he lied smoothly. Gabriel definitely was overprotective that way, so it wasn’t far-fetched. 

Ms. Bustier sighed. “Please take your seats. However, I would like both of you to stay in after class.”

Adrien blushed a bright red in humiliation. He’d wanted to go to school so badly, but . . . his activities as Chat Noir were far too pressing on his schedule. He briefly wondered how Nathalie was able to put up with his constant disappearances. 

Marinette nodded and slumped into her seat, and Adrien ducked his head and slid into his own spot next to Nino. 

Nino shot him a conspirator’s wink. “So, you and Marinette, huh?”

Adrien’s blush increased tenfold. “Nino!” he hissed. “It’s nothing like that! I swear I wasn’t anywhere near her bakery!”

“And yet your breath smells like freshly baked cookies? Come on, dude, you  _ smell _ like Marinette’s bakery.” 

Adrien didn’t think he could get any redder, but it wasn’t like he could just tell Nino that he was Chat Noir and had just fought an akuma at the Boulangerie-Patisserie and had been given a dozen cookies by the saints that were Marinette’s parents. 

_ At least Marinette doesn’t have to put up with all these implicit relationship ideas that Nino and Alya cook up together.  _

~*~

Oh, how wrong he was. Alya was currently pressing Marinette for details about this new development in “Project Adrienette” and  _ exactly when and where _ Marinette had found the guts to sweep Adrien Agreste off his feet and all sorts of other nonsense. 

Needless to say, Marinette wasn’t faring much better than Adrien was when it came to the incessant teasing. She herself knew that her face was far from its typical pale complexion, as it had traitorously chosen to turn as red as Nathanaël’s hair. 

And, even more mortifying was the fact that that blush simply  _ refused _ to leave her for the rest of the day! 

“Adrien, Marinette,” Ms. Bustier said once everyone else had left the classroom. “I understand that things have been hectic due to akuma attacks, but the two of you need to start attending class on time. Now, since the two of you missed having assigned partners, you two will be working on your drama project together. For your drama project, you need to choose one of Shakespeare’s plays to research. It will be due in a week.” she said. “And please,” she added, turning around, “you can spend time with each other  _ after _ the project is due.”

Both of them flushed such a deep shade of pink it would have put garnets to shame. 


	2. II - Goodnight Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little LadyNoir in here to set the mood.

Ladybug let out a quiet sigh as she trudged through her patrol route. Today was rather humiliating, to say the least. To think that Alya had assumed . . . 

She refused to think about it. 

“So, milady . . .” 

Ladybug jumped, startled. She hadn’t even known Chat was there. He’d been quiet as . . . well, a cat. 

“Yes?” she asked, too suddenly. 

“You seem purr-ety off-put. Is something  _ bugging _ you?”

Ladybug groaned at the pun. “No, Chat,” she said wearily, “just that being Ladybug is affecting my civilian life. Today . . . could have been better.”

Chat laughed. “For you you and me both, milady. Because of today’s earlier attack, I ended up arriving late to class, and one of my female friends was late as well, so another assumed . . . I’m sure you can guess.”

Ladybug felt blood rush into her cheeks. After all, the same thing had happened to her -- and with  _ Adrien _ no less! Nonetheless, she said, “Oh, is that so? Did this stray finally find an owner?” she asked, smirking. 

Like she was in a position to do so. 

“It -- It’s nothing like that!” he mewled. “I mean, just because she’s adorable and really sweet and her eyes sparkle like a warm summer sky doesn’t mean I’m attracted to her!”

Ladybug snorted. “You mean that you typically come across girls who you think are ‘adorable, sweet, and have eyes that sparkle like a warm summer sky’?” 

Chat looked away. “No, but she’s one of my best friends -- out of the mask -- and I don’t know if she’d appreciate the flattery.” His ears flattened against his head. “She already avoids me and stammers around me.”

Ladybug laughed, but her stomach clenched. “Oh, silly  _ chaton _ , she probably likes you.”

His glowing peridot eyes glowed even brighter. “Really?” Then that light shut off, as if he was thinking something sad. “But wouldn’t that be a problem? I mean, since I like you, it wouldn’t be fair to her . . .”

“Oh, you pure little cat,” Ladybug laughed, “maybe spend more time with her. Give her a chance. You said you’re her friend, right? Maybe you’ll grow to like her. Maybe not. See where it goes.” 

Yet Ladybug couldn’t ignore the odd swirl of protectiveness for Chat. 

Protectiveness. Not jealousy, protectiveness. 

But she couldn’t ignore that smug satisfaction that she felt when Chat placed a soft goodnight kiss to her hand. And he had in her civilian persona too.  _ Take that, other girl. _


	3. III - Sweets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien sees sweets, and lets his mind go into overdrive. 
> 
> Or, in which Adrien flirts and makes Marinette a puddle of goo.

Adrien smiled at Marinette’s parents. “Marinette and I are partners for our Shakespeare project for Literature,” he explained. 

Sabine smiled at him knowingly. “Marinette must be really glad to hear that,” she said. 

“Really?” Adrien asked, remembering his conversation with Ladybug the previous night.  _ Give her a chance. _

“Oh, yes,” Tom chuckled. “Oh, look, here she is,” he said, and Adrien turned to face the stairs. 

“Oh, hi, Marinette! Do you want to get started on the project now?”

Marinette smiled weakly at him. She had become more confident around him since her uncle came to visit and he’d helped her out, so he knew he was making some improvement.  _ She probably likes you. _

Adrien froze. What if Marinette  _ did _ like him? What if she  _ told him she did? _ How was he supposed to respond? Could he reject her just after he’d managed to get her comfortable around him? Would she hate him?

_ Did he even want to reject her? _

Adrien tamped down the thought. He needed to focus. 

And he really, really would have. 

If not for the  _ enormous _ pile of sweets in Marinette’s room. 

“That’s a lot of sweets,” he said, trying to ignore the saliva pooling in his mouth. 

“Yeah, you seemed really upset about not getting those cookies last time, so I made them for you . . . ?” she replied, making it seem more like a question. 

“I . . . uh . . . thank you  _ so much _ , Marinette,” he breathed, picking up a cinnamon roll and trying it. The flavours exploded in his mouth, the heat of the cinnamon warming his mouth, then the sugary sweetness leveling out the fiery warmth, and the flakiness of the pastry balancing it out perfectly. 

“Are they sweet enough? Did I put too much sugar? I wasn’t sure, since there was quite a bit of cinnamon--”

“They’re perfectly sweet, Marinette,” Adrien said, and couldn’t help the next line that came from his mouth. “Just like you.”


	4. IV - Please, Stay?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien finally makes an admission.

Marinette leaned back into the swivel chair at Adrien’s desk. “I can’t believe we got the entire research portion done within the first three days,” she said, then glanced outside the window and frowned. “It looks like it’s going to storm soon. I should probably go home now.”

Adrien felt his chest seize as he remembered the pounding of thunder, the bright flashes of lightning, the illuminated windowpanes casting bar-like shadows in his room, making it feel even more like the prison it had always been.

“M-Marinette! Wait!” he shouted before he could stop himself.

She turned around, concern clear in her eyes. “Is something wrong?”

“I just . . . please, stay?” he asked, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I . . . I’m terrified of storms . . .”

Marinette’s face reached the all-time world record of redness. “I, uh, sure, but is it okay with your father? I mean, he only said that I could come over to work on the project . . .”

“It’s not like he’d care. He’s never even bothered to check in on me, even when . . . It doesn’t matter.” Adrien said, refusing to think about it.

Marinette reached out, as if to touch him, but retracted her hand, thinking better of it. If Adrien was transformed, his ears would be flattened against his head.

Then, in clear defiance of her previous action, Marinette wrapped her arm around him and whispered in his ear, “I’m here for you, Adrien.”

He didn’t hesitate to lean into her embrace. “Thank you, Marinette,” he whispered back.

Yes, Ladybug had been right. He would give Marinette a chance to take his heart.

He already had.

He was undeniably in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng.


	5. V - Firsts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of firsts. 
> 
> And my obsession with Death Note makes its grand entrance.

“Looks like the rain isn’t going to let out tonight,” Adrien commented.

Marinette sighed. “Yeah. Well, I guess I might have to stay overnight . . .”

Adrien froze. Did Marinette want to go home? “Oh, if you’re not comfortable staying here, I can get the Gorilla-- I mean, I can get my bodyguard to try and drive you home if you’re uncomfortable with the idea--”

Marinette laughed. “It’s fine, Adrien. Actually, I’m thrilled. I’ve been ho--wait, did you just call your bodyguard ‘the Gorilla’?”

Adrien looked away sheepishly. “When Simon Says attacked, he turned him into a gorilla, and the name just stuck,” he explained.

Marinette laughed. “What’s his real name?”

Adrien stood still. “I . . . don’t actually know it.” he said blankly, making Marinette laugh.  

“I’m texting my parents to say that I’ll be staying overnight,” she explained as she pulled out her phone.

“Ah. This . . . this is my first sleepover,” he said airily.

Marinette lowered her phone, having sent the text. “Right,” she said, nodding in realisation.

“So . . .” he said when Marinette sat down. “What do people normally do at sleepovers?”

Marinette frowned. “Well, the only person I’ve had a sleepover with recently was Alya, and we did stuff like painting our nails and watching movies with popcorn . . .” Marinette paused. “Of course, there was truth or dare, and dressing up -- though I’m sure you already do a lot of that, you know, with you being a model and I’m rambling again -- oh, yeah, we’d also play with each other’s hair, and just talk, I guess.” she said, her face flushing again.

Adrien’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s do all of that,” he enthused.

“. . . Even playing with each other’s hair and painting nails?” Marinette asked incredulously.

“Yep!”

“I, uh, okay . . . ? So . . . first should we . . . You know what? You should pick what we do first!”

“You should!”

“But you’re the host!”

“You’re still the guest!”

“It’s your first sleepover!”

Eventually, they agreed on watching anime and ice cream.

“So, what are we watching?” Marinette asked.

“Death Note,” Adrien said, grinning.

“What?”

“You’ll see!”

The screen filled with grey plains, dusted with skeletons and disfigured beings.

* * *

_Deridovely: What. A pair of sleeping skulls?_

_Gook: Hehe, I win again! No hard feelings, right?_

_Deridovely: Hey there, Ryuk, would it kill you to join us? You should come play with us for a change._

_Ryuk: No, I’ll pass._

* * *

“What _are_ those things?” Marinette asked.

“Shinigami,” Adrien explained, as if that was all she needed to know.

“She-what?”

“Death gods.”

“You do realise this is the first . . . _anime_ . . . I’ve watched, right?”

“Believe me, this one’s good.” Adrien said eagerly as the scene changed to a classroom.

* * *

_Teacher: Listen for the voice of God and follow it, and know that in time you will find your salvation._

_Talking Girl 1: I know, I didn’t even do anything wrong! He just totally snapped at me!_

_Talking Girls 2: Really?_

_Teacher: Yagami, are you still with us? Can you please translate the following sentence into English?_

_Light: [Sigh] Follow the teachings of God and receive his blessings, and so it shall be that the seas will again become bountiful, and the raging storms will subside._

* * *

“Is this something to do with philosophy?” Marinette asked.

“Well, not exactly. More to do with morality, but . . . it’s still purr-ety great.”

Marinette froze. “Did you just . . . _pun?_ ”

“Does the Purr-incess not like puns? I find them to be rather a-mew-sing!” Adrien pouted.

Marinette whined into her hands. “ _No puns_ . . .” she groaned.

“But why? You live in a bakery, right?”

“Where are you going with this?”

“I was hoping you’d _rise_ to the occasion.”

“Baking puns, too?”

“Come on, it’s all or _muffin_.”

“No. Stop right there.”

“These puns should be on a _knead_ to know basis!”

“Cha-- Adrien!” Marinette corrected herself quickly. Was it just her luck that _both_ attractive, blond-haired, green-eyed boys in her life loved puns? Or did _all_ attractive blonde-haired, green-eyed boys love puns? “Fine, I’ll watch the ani-whatever-it-is if you refrain from making _any more_ puns for the rest of the day.”

“Hour.”

“Week.”

“Okay, day!”

Satisfied with her bargain, Marinette turned back to the screen, only to find that it had been paused. Anything she’d been hoping to miss . . . _hadn’t_ , because Adrien had _paused the thing_ while she was distracted.

Why was she in love with him again?

Right, he was a superb, brilliant, kind-hearted person that her heart melted at the sheer sight of. She swooned.

But first . . . the _anime_.

* * *

_Newscaster: Today, at approximately 11 am a 32-year-old man was found stabbed to death in his apartment in the city of Yokohama Karigara Prefecture. Karigawa police are treating this case as a homicide._

_Newscaster 2: In other news, today suspected murderer Naoki Tokuji was arrested in the district of Shibuya Tokyo. He is being held in custody facing murder charges for the brutal slaying of his common-law partner, who was only 25 at the time of death._

* * *

“Wait, now it’s getting into _homicide_?”

“This isn’t even the beginning.”

* * *

_Light: Day in, and day out, the same news on permanent repeat._

_Ryuk: This is all so ridiculous._

_Light: This world is . . ._

_Ryuk: Rotten._

* * *

“This is going to get dark, isn’t it?” Marinette asked.

“Yep. It’s an insane battle for justice.”

* * *

When the episode finished (much to Marinette’s disappointment, though she’d never admit it) Adrien jumped up in his seat. “So, truth or dare?”

“Right,” Marinette said, still reeling. She’d make a note to finish watching that anime later. “So, truth, or dare?”

“Truth.”

Marinette paused. What did she want to know about Adrien? Or rather, what could she ask without embarrassing herself? “Do you like modelling?”

“Well, I do, but I probably won't make it my career.” Adrien said after a second. “Truth or dare, Marinette?”

“Truth.”

“What's your favourite pastime?”

“Honestly, it would be designing. Truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“I dare you to . . .” Marinette trailed off. “I'm no good at coming up with dares -- that's Alya’s department.”

“Then truth.”

Marinette paused for a second as something occurred to her. “When was the last time you laughed?”

Adrien’s world seemed to stand still for a second. Thinking back . . .

“My first day at school -- when you accidentally closed the umbrella on your head. I know it's awful of me, but . . . that was the first time I've laughed since my mom . . .”

Marinette felt a surge of protectiveness for Adrien. She didn't know where she gathered the confidence to do so, but she wrapped an arm around Adrien. “It's okay, Adrien. I'm here for you.”

It took less than a second for Adrien to glance at Marinette, eyes lost for a second, and then--

He kissed her.

When he pulled away, he said: “That was my first kiss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a list of firsts in this chapter:
> 
> 1) Adrien's first sleepover  
> 2) Marinette's first anime  
> 3) Recount of Adrien's first laugh (in canon)  
> 4) Adrien's (supposed) first kiss


	6. VI - Blanket Fort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien is too by-the-book.
> 
> You don't need an instruction manual to build a blanket fort, Adrien.

It had taken a while, after the initial awkwardness, to stop kissing, but within those moments, Marinette's stutter had miraculously been cured, and Adrien was like a kitten that had finally found his owner. 

“We should build a blanket fort!” Marinette declared. 

“Oh, I used to do that with Mom when I was little,” Adrien said, ignoring the sharp  _ twang _ of pain at the memory. “I think I have some stuff for it in here . . .” Adrien said, walking over to a closet. When he opened it, camping supplies toppled out. 

Adrien frowned at the pile, scanning, and-- there! He picked up a manual from the floor. “Here it is! How to make a blanket tent. Step one: place the base frame on the floor. Step two: Lock the poles into place on the fra--”

Marinette burst out laughing. 

“What's so funny?” Adrien pouted. “I'm following the instructions!”

“You’re not supposed to use  _ those _ things for a blanket fort!” she laughed. “Blanket forts are made with  _ literally _ pillows and blankets!”

“Oh.”

So Marinette showed Adrien how to make a blanket fort. 

“If you make this pillow stand like that, then balance it in between the other pillows -- no, not like that, make it stand upright -- then we can drape the quilt over it… like that!” Marinette grinned. “Now we can go inside.

Of course, since Adrien had a  _ gigantic _ quilt, the fort ended up being just as gigantic. “Is this what camping is like?” Adrien inquired after crawling into the fort. 

“Well, not exactly. Camping’s outdoors, and we have sleeping bags, and campfires, and hard rocky ground, and s’mores, and scary stories, and a lot of other outdoorsy stuff.” Marinette said after thinking. 

“Maybe we should go camping -- you, me, Alya, and Nino,” Adrien murmured. “But I’d have to convince Father first. He probably wouldn’t let me,” he sighed. 

“I’m sure we can convince him,” Marinette said, shifting next to Adrien, who, in turn, cupped her face and brought her mouth to his. 

“You’re amazing, Marinette,” he murmured onto her lips after pulling away. He felt Marinette shiver slightly as she pulled him back for another kiss, this one deeper and more passionate than the ones earlier. 

They just laid there for hours, enjoying each other’s presence, until they finally fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is getting ridiculously fluffy. 
> 
> I'm going to need to write some angst.


	7. VI - 4 A.M.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette needs comfort after a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Angst in the beginning, but hopefully the fluff at the end makes up for it.

_ “Chat Noir!” Ladybug screamed as Chat’s eyes widened, just as he lost grip of the ledge he was holding onto. She’d just activated her Lucky Charm, and the akuma was getting away -- and with Chat’s baton, no less.  _

_ She swung past on her yoyo, her partner’s life far more valuable than her identity. She reached out, just as his gloved fingertips touched hers, he grabbed on, and she stretched out to swing her yo-yo again--  _

_ “Beep! Beep!” _

_ Her transformation fell.  _

_ The sparkly pink light engulfed her and Chat, leaving Marinette Dupain-Cheng in Chat Noir’s arms, helpless, and about to die.  _

_ Chat’s mouth moved, forming her name on his lips, surprised, but no sound came out. Instead, he wrapped himself around her, hitting the ground in her place.  _

* * *

Marinette almost screamed as she woke up, sitting bolt upright. She wasn’t in her room. No, no, no, she was in Adrien’s house -- in a blanket fort. Right.

She was okay. Chat was okay. It was just a dream.

But all Marinette could see was his broken body lying on the ground, completely lifeless. She let out a stifled sob. 

As it happened, that quiet sob was enough to make Adrien wake up. He glanced at her, to see her crying. 

“Marinette?” his voice was hoarse from sleep, but as he saw her shoulders shaking softly, he bolted to attention. “What happened? Was it a nightmare?”

Marinette just nodded in response. There wasn’t much to say, after all. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked. Marinette shook her head; what could she say without revealing her identity as Ladybug? She felt guilty about not telling Adrien, of course, but what choice did she have? If he were to find out, it would just endanger him. 

Besides, it wouldn’t be right to  _ not _ tell Chat first. He was her partner, and the only one who understood the pressures and the risks that came with using the Miraculous. She couldn’t tell Adrien, not yet. 

But she opened her mouth anyway. “Th-there was an akuma,” she said, only then noticing that she was shivering. Adrien, having picked up on it too, embraced her in a hug that provided little warmth in the cold room. “It was getting away, and-- and I was there, and Chat Noir, too, and he died, because of me,” she said into his shoulder. “He’s such a good person, and he died because of me.”

Of course, Adrien had known Marinette looked up to his superhero persona, and he wanted to tell her that it was  _ him _ soon, but, selfishly, he wanted to get close to her as Adrien first. But knowing that she was so worked up because it was  _ him _ , and being called “such a good person” was gratifying. 

“It’s okay, Marinette. I’m sure he’s okay, he’s a superhero. Ladybug too.” Adrien wondered for a fraction of a second what had happened to Ladybug for Chat-- _ himself _ to have died and not brought back by the Miraculous Cure. 

But he didn’t push it. “It’s four in the morning,” Marinette whispered, guilty for having woken him up. “And it’s still raining.”

“The rain loves us,” Adrien said, smiling softly as he pressed another soft kiss to her lips. 


End file.
